• Tony Marinaro takes time out from coaching the Canadiens and the Italian national soccer team to work as a travel agent on Twitter:Great
NHL package. Habs@Lightning & Caps@Lightning. March 4th-8th, $2399+
includes: game tix, airfare, hotel, meals. Dino (514) 933-1346

490 Comments

Right about some things. But as much as i have grown up admiring Red, even i find it difficult not finding his more recent work reminding me of the rants of my late grandfather. In terms of this article, there are too many bones to pick to even bother pointing them out, but i will grant him his point about the Heritage Classic being more about a cash grab than classic hockey. Everything else he writes in this article, however, comes off as nothing more than the complaints of an aging man. And for someone of his journalistic integrity and regard, one would hope he would at least be factually correct in something as simple as knowing the weather in Edmonton and Calgary are non-comparable.

If Red had dressed for the cold weather, he wouldn’t have had such a poor experience. hs lack of prepartion made him sick and hence a poor report. It’s ok Red, a thousand reporters will be there, if not you.

If PG did such a great job in Ottawa, then where are all their banners….?? Bottom line is when Gainy steped down, a proper search should have been done for his replacement….If PG was the right guy, then he would have emerged as the number 1 anyhow, so whats the harm in looking….

I think the #2 option was the winner. Sign Price first and you miss out on the whole point of having RFAs with no arbitration rights, AND you kill any leverage you had in terms of return on Halak, because at that point it becomes obvious you NEED to trade him.

I don’t think Eller is a bad return given the circumstances. I still think we traded the wrong guy- but I am totally willing to be convinced otherwise. It’s pretty much up to Price.

Of course one these RFAs should have been signed before trading away the other – it is a no-brainer.

How do you get one of them sign early enough so that the other can be traded while the market has peak demand? The only answer is the team overpays.

Now on top of it has given Price bargaining power that the Habs held before trading one or the ther away.

Price’s agent is not a dummy. Once the team puts on the hard sell to sign Price early, he would realize that Montreal was planning on trading Halak. This leaves Montreal in the same place they are today. Also, the idea that Price has gained all this bargaining power is mostly just talk. The end game is still the same. If Price won’t sign what Montreal is offering he won’t play NHL and won’t get paid at all.

Because they could have told him they would make him their #1 and trade Halak if he signed this deal. Besides Gauthier had previously said “we like both goalies and will keep both.” He did not have to trade him in June or even at least wait until the draft when he could have got offers for either. Gauthier is 90s Senators – he never won a championship in his career – Sens fans hate him.

A top young goalie like the playoff leader and 4th best over regular season playing behind a very average team – was worth giving Halak $4 million a year by St. Louis – he had much trade value. Of course one these RFAs should have been signed before trading away the other – it is a no-brainer. Now on top of it has given Price bargaining power that the Habs held before trading one or the ther away. And you can’t see it?

That’s my biggest pet peeve with the whole “They should have signed Price before trading Halak” argument.

Why would Price sign in June, when he knows that by July 1st either he or Halak would be traded, and the thus the future would be much more clear? The canadiens had to get rid of one before July 1st, they both knew it, which is why either of them would have never signed before that.

Montreal badly needed Moore at the end of the season. He plays great, season ends. Montreal trades Halak, the main piece of return is a larger up and coming center. Montreal’s need for Moore is greatly reduced and thus he is not signed (assuming he even wanted to).

I love how the media and some people wholly forget to take stock in the cons and downside to signing Price before Halak.

For the sign Price and then trade Halak idea to work it relies on one large assumption: that Price can be signed by July 1. The market for goalies size shrinks greatly, this season three teams added #1 A or B goalies, on July 1. Free market theory would suggest that Halak’s value would decrease after July 1 as demand has decreased.

This brings us back to Price. Why does Price sign early? Negotiation logic suggests in this case that the reason Price would sign early is because his initial demands (and highest) were met, giving him not reason not to wait for a better offer.

In the final analysis, it seems that if Montreal would have signed Price and then traded Halak there would be two likely outcomes:

1) Price is overpaid as a means of making sure Halak is traded before July 1.

2) Price is overpaid, and Halak’s return is diminished as market size decreases on July 1st, and/or market realizes that the Price signing has forced Montreal to trade Halak.

I really don’t know what option would have been best; clearly there are pros and cons for both. Just wish it would be acknowledged that signing Price and then trading Halak isn’t some perfect utopian idea.

the only move he has made worse then this is not re-signing Moore…Traded for him, does a good job in the Playoffs..then not sign him…Signs with the rest of the Habs in Tampa for nothing….yes that made a lot of sense

No kidding! Anyone with half or a millionth of a brain knows Gauthier made a bonehead move trading one RFA goalie away before signing the other one FIRST. On top of it trading the wrong goalie away. Then spreading the lies that Price had a much better future(Gauthier thinks he’s Nostradamous now) and even more trade value as opposed to Halak for other GMs. Well, if Price had such great trade value then why hasn’t any GM offered Price a $3 million dollar average deal which would only cost him a 2nd round draft pick? And you better believe Molson is thinking the same – why did you rush to trade one of these goalies before signing one or the other? Gauthier won’t be here much longer – he will not last another year here.

I feel the same, I’m hoping Max makes the club this year but he would have to be outstanding in camp, the best thing would be to play a full year in Ham, last year he was hurt right after he was sent down and missed a lot of time. I think a good 3rd line for the 2011 season would be Max Pac- Eller- Laps. As for Max not playing to his size, I think he goes out and tries to make hits but he needs to fill his frame, I swear every game someone would line him up and either hit him hard or he would move away the last second..lol

Listening to the boys and Tieman on the TEAM 990 this morning….concensus is the HABS made a huge faux pas trading Halak before signing Price…They assume the move could cost them around a million dollars….thats a lot of bottles of beer!

Not impressed with Red’s story this morning, kind of made something thats going to be fun..as exciting as going to a funeral. His stories seem to be getting more negative and following the Habs seems to be more of a chore…I long for the days of Farber!

The thing that impresses me most about Kristo is that he plays just as well at any level of competition – be it in the NCAA, against Latvia, or against Team Canada. He always delivers at the same torrid pace.

Speaking of too small – I’m surprised our draft pick Brendan Gallagher made it to the Team Canada camp over guys like McFarland or Brett Connolly. At 5’8″, it may be easy to overlook him (literally) – but maybe we’re onto something here. He could be a surprise one day.

Max is fine. He just needs time to develop. Not every young player explodes right away, and I’m TIRED of watching our guys do better elsewhere. Leave him in Hamilton until he’s ready. He and Palushaj have chemistry, so bring em both up for the 4th or 3rd and let’s see what they can do on a line with someone like Pyatt or Lapierre.

Hey Mike, you forgot to mention Marinaro’s correspondence course in becoming an M.D. when he used his expertise to diagnose Andrei Markov’s back injury and used a consult from his friend at a pharmacy.

I agree with you. I would, however, take Max Pac out of the mix. If he couldn’t make his mark over ythe last 2-3 years with the talent they put him with, I’m afraid he is done. I wouldn’t have him back. He does not play as big as he is and if you’re not going to score, you have to do everything else. All the other guys will get their chances this year and next. Should be fun to watch.

You got two RW, pick one ;)..I don’t know if anyone remember but they had a story on Kristo during rookie camp earlier in the summer where he said to the reporters that he was “the best RW at the camp” (he was the only real RW), kidna chessy funny i find

I have no porblem with having ‘small” players like Gio, Cammy, in our top 6, but I like our team to have sandpaper and size on our bottom 6, and I think P.G. is looking to do just that, Eller 6’2, Moen 6’2 Max Pac 6’2, Laps 6’2, White 6′, Boyd 6′ and pyatt 5’11, and with got guys in Ham that are going to be good 3rd 4th liners with size, Conboy 6’4. Schultz 6’3.

Also I think our bottom 6 is going to be key for us this season and some of the young guys need to step up, namely Max Pac, and O’B (not young anymore).

Steve – Caught your Duff*** slight yesterday, funny you always bring up laff names (Sundin,Kaberle etc.) from your closet, makes one wonder. ………… Move Spacek to the left side to play with PK, guess we will be hearing that 100 times before the puck is dropped for our first exibition game, why not use it as your signature.